The congregation of Forest Lake Presbyterian has graciously supported the mission of Presbyterian College since 1975, which includes an endowment fund to provide support for a comprehensive program of Christian worship, Christian education, service to others, and fellowship that engages the student body. In recent years, the gains from the Forest Lake Endowment have been specifically used to fund a weekend retreat that introduces students to seminaries in the region and to hear speakers with inspiring testimonies of a life in ministry. However, campus travel has been suspended for the 2020-2021 academic school year due to Covid-19. This year, in lieu of a weekend retreat, funds were used to help purchase books for a study on Acts by N.T. Wright, to cover the costs of a campus wide Ash Wednesday service, and helped host monthly Friday night gatherings for the PC community. The endowment draw for fiscal year 2021 will total $1,701.72. One student leader said, “The foundation of Religious Life at PC is built on unconditional love and service. I love that, through Campus Wide Worship, we can be fully inclusive of our student body’s diverse cultural and denominational backgrounds, while simultaneously exposing our community to new ways of thinking about and expressing faith through worship and daily life.” Another student, when asked about his experience as a Religious Life leader, said, “It has given me the chance to be able to serve my campus in a more impactful way. Having the opportunity to minister to other students has been an amazing experience and has helped me to grow both personally and in my relationship with Christ.” A specific group of student leaders receive bi-weekly training in pastoral care and peer care from our Chaplain’s office intern.
The support of congregations like Forest Lake Presbyterian afford the Religious Life department at PC to continue to provide relevant, experiential, Christian leadership development. We are thankful for your support and hope we can continue to partner together.
